AnM.12: SWOT Analysis
Relevance:
A SWOT analysis in the beginning of the FenRIAM process provides an initial snapshot of the current situation in the project domain. At a later stage it serves as an input to the development of alternative sce-narios exploring various possible development strategies that build upon strengths and opportunities and seek to overcome weaknesses and threats. FenRIAM suggests a SWOT analysis at that stage, where it helps to set strategic goals and supports decision-making. Since SWOT analysis is not a static analytical tool with emphasis on the out-comes only, but a dynamic element of the process of management and decision-making along the time line it can be very valuable if regularly repeated in the framework of UC4/UC5 applications.
Description:
The SWOT analysis is an analytical tool used to identify, categorise and rank significant internal (strengths & weaknesses, such as RI re-sources, governance model, tangible and intangible assets …) and external factors (opportunities & threats, such as broad socio-eco-nomic and en¬vi¬ron¬men¬tal changes, competitors' behavior, market specifics …) that affect the RI project.
The SWOT analysis is a tool for exploring and revealing the internal strengths and weaknesses of the RI as well as existing possibilities and threats coming from the external environment in which it is operat-ing. Only on the basis of a sound exploration and understanding of these four key information elements, long-term objectives can be set, strategic policies formulated, and strategic decisions taken. The op¬por-tu¬ni¬ties and threats coming from the external environment need to be assessed in terms of their probability. Likewise, strengths and weak-nesses
are assessed in terms of their significance by using a scoring system (such as high, medium, or low significance).
Procedure:
- Identify the significant strengths and weaknesses of the RI.
- Identify the significant opportunities and threats for the RI project or facility created by the external context.
- Prepare a short report of the results, e.g. as a SWOT matrix.
The results of a SWOT analysis are usually presented in a SWOT matrix:
Strengths (internal factors)
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Weaknesses (internal factors)
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Opportunities (external factors)
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Treats (external factors)
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Data sources:
- Expert panels
- Interviews with internal experts (e.g. project coordinator, scientific man¬ager) and external experts (stakeholders, scientists)
- Analysis of internal documents and databases
Definitions:
None.
References:
None.